New opening
nature and quality of the plant and systems, are installed to very high standards to keep the running costs as low as possible, which obviously means lower consumption of energy.”
As far as energy is concerned, site manager James tells me that while the design did not require the installation of PV on the roof due to the high efficiency of the overall construction, the infrastructure is in place for PV (photovoltaic panels) to be installed at a later date. One innovation that Braintree Mews does feature, however, as explained to me by James, is a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) system that captures and uses heat to generate power, thus potentially reducing carbon emissions by up to 30 per cent. At the core of the CHP, in a very warm room at the heart of Braintree Mews, sits a Toyota engine dedicated to delivering what could amount
Sustainability will play a key role in the operation of Braintree Mews
to a 20 per cent saving on the home’s annual energy bills.
In common with other new build care homes that I have visited, Braintree Mews does not use heat pumps. As has been the case with other contractors and providers that I have spoken to, Horizon is sceptical as to whether, in the grand scheme of things, when a care home already uses a significant amount of gas to drive its kitchen, its laundry, and its hot water systems, the potential savings – both financial and in environmental terms – of using heat pumps to heat an already warm and extremely well-insulated building, are
particularly significant. Besides, Braintree Mews has an EPC
rating of ‘B’ (with ‘A’ being the highest) – a very good rating for a care home, and a tangible result of the efforts Horizon and Avery have made in making sure the home is as energy-efficient as possible.
Infection control Despite perhaps having slipped out of the public consciousness somewhat, COVID-19 remains a concern for many vulnerable and elderly people, and will thus be an important consideration in the day-to-day running of Braintree Mews, as Avery’s Adrian Doyle confirms: “Avery’s design and operational
procedures considered infection control prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and remain largely similar now,” he tells me. “All floors [of the care home] act independently as self- contained units, with individual bathing facilities for all rooms, a minimum of touch points with PIR (passive infrared sensor) lighting, Microban surfaces, use of infra taps, easy to wipe down surfaces, separated staff, delivery, and public entrances, and kitchens and laundries having separate access and egress.”
Finishing touches Braintree Mews is arranged across three floors, with the first and second floors intended for nursing care and for accommodating residents living with dementia. As is standard procedure across the care sector, resident numbers will increase slowly and steadily once Braintree Mews has opened its doors, with an initial cohort of around 20 residents gradually increasing to a more-or-less capacity of 70+
16
www.thecarehomeenvironment.com November 2023
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44
